Reading and meditation on the Word of God on Monday of the 13th week in ordinary time, June 30, 2025

Delivered by Evelyn from the Parish of the Holy Spirit in the Archdiocese of Singapore. Genesis 18: 16-33; Rs psalm 103: 1-2.3-4.8-9.10-11; Matthew 8: 18-22.HE WHO INVITES Our meditation today is entitled: HeWho Invites. When you are invited to a place that is very beautiful panoramawith its natural charm, of course, a much pleasure arises in you. When peopleinvite you to eat your favorite food, of course you feel like having anextraordinary moment in life. When you are invited to take part in a veryimportant event from someone who is highly respected, you certainly feel veryhonored. A friend shared that every time beforeattending Holy Mass or certain prayer service, he always experiences aspiritual invitation from God. He feels the movement of his heart and minddirecting him, saying that the opportunity to pray must be taken seriously.With this invitation, he prepares himself as best as possible and invitesfamily members or friends to make use of their opportunities to pray. The invitation from a brother orfriend is a form of attention that pays the way to take part in his or her life.The person who invites you makes sure that he wants you to see and experiencewhat he lives and has. When he has a good car, then you are invited to takepart in the ride, how that experience becomes very special. When you areinvited to come to his new and beautiful home, you certainly feel very specialand wonderful. God always invites us. His invitationis not playful, but very fundamental for our lives. He invites us not only forin this world’s purpose, but it is very important for our glory in heaven.Today, the word of God states that the Lord Jesus invites us to the greatestrelationship with Himself, namely our personal relationships with Him. In thisrelationship, there are love, friendship, trust and commitment to Him, whichmake our experience so profound and meaningful. To signify that the relationship istruly strong and constantly renewed is if we always give our "Yes"answers to Him. Maybe we often experience for ourselves how we undertake andpractice His invitation regarding positive and beneficial things. We actuallyshow it with our expressions of gratitude and joy. But it can be a challenge if we haveto answer "Yes" to God's invitation to us in relation to difficulty,obstacle, suffering or enemy’s threat. Often our human nature tends to ask usto avoid it. We are encouraged to answer "no". But precisely here ourfaith and call are tested. God wants us to also answer "Yes" to suchinvitations. Let's pray. In the name of theFather ... O most loving Jesus, may we be strong and joyful with our callings.Hail Mary full of grace ... In the name of the Father ...